Alarm or time-check.



R. TTTRGK.

ALARM 0R TIME CHECK.

APPLIGATION FILLED FEB. 27, 1908.

Patented 861113.14, 1909.

Fig. 6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jnvenhor mS EME- a. TfilwK". ALARM 0R TIME CHECK.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.27, 190B.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909b 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.6.

Figi

Jnventor VWLnesses UNITED STATES PATENT oEEeE.

ROBERT TTJ'RGK, OF ZURICH, S I5321 312113AN1), ASSIGNOR TO UNIQUEAUTOMATIC ALARTE CLOCK COMPANY, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

ALARM OR TIME-CHECK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT TilRCK, a subject of the German Emperor,residing at Zurich, Switzerland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Alarms or Time-Checks, of which the following is aspecification.

The subject of the present invention is an alarm or time check in which,on an hour hand being set to a definite mark, winding up of the mainspring of the entire mechanism is brought about.

hen the mechanism is constructed as an alarm, the going train is keptseparate from the alarm, but they are both operated in succession bymeans of the same lever and main spring. The alarm is designed morespecifically for hotels, public baths and like institutions, in whichthere are many separate rooms, for the purpose of audibly informing theoccupants of these rooms, in each of which the alarm is provided, of thelapse of certain intervals of time.

Inthe event of the mechanism being con- 7 ,structed as a time check, thealarm is merely replaced by a totalizing mechanism, while the goingtrain is furnished with a minute hand, whereby the apparatus can beemployed for determining the duration of games or the like, indicationbeing given both of the separate intervals of play and of the total timeoccupied.

The invention is illustrated in the acconr panying drawings, in whichFigure l is a back view of the mechanism constructed as an alarm. Fig. 2is a section on the line CD of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sec tional plan ofFig. 1. Fig. at is a front elevation of the mechanism constructed as atime check for billiards or the like, Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of Fig.1, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line AB of Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the mechanism iscontained in a closed case a. To the bracket .7) there is pivoted thewinding and setting lever 0 whose one arm projects outside the case a,and is furnished with a knob (Z having a pointer 6 (Figs. 1 and 2). Thelatter moves over a scale f marked on the front of the case a. The otherarm of lever 0 forms a segmental rack, and by turning the lever in thedirection 0 i the arrow 1 (Fig. 1) this rack can be brought intoengagement with the pinion g, whose Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 27, 1908.

Patented Sept. 14, 19%). Serial No. 418,091.

arbor carries the first wheel of the going train, with which it iscoupled by means of a pawl and ratchet device it, a fragment only ofwhich is shown in Fig. 1. XV hen the lever 0 is turned in the directionof the arrow 1, the main spring 2' is wound up. The inner end of thisspring is secured to the boss of the lever 0, while the outer end isattached to a pin on the bracket Z), as shown in Fig. 1. The pinion 9,during this motion of the lever 0 can turn idly, owing to the provisionof the pawl and ratchet device it. I hen the lever c has been set to thedesired mark or division on the scale 7 by means of the handle (Z, andthen released, the main spring will drive the going train. The lattermay be set in motion by hand or by dropping in a coin. In the latterevent the pallet staff 70 of the going train is provided with an arm Z,which projects into the coin duct m. When the coin strikes the arm Z,the latter will be tipped and the pendulum it thus started. The lever 0during the going of the mechanism is regulated by the escapement andreturns slowly to its initial position, and in doing so lifts a gravityrod 0, which is provided at the top with a plate 7), acting as closurefor the coin slot The slot, however, is uncovered im mediately the leverc is set to one of the divisions of the scale f, since in this case therod 0, with its plate 7), resting on the lever will drop. From this itfollows that a coin cannot be dropped into the slot to start thependulum 12, until the handle cZ has been turned to set the lever c.

The lever c and mainspring 2' not only act upon the going train, butalso upon the alarm. For this purpose a pin 1 is provided on thesegmental arm of the lever c. This pin projects into the path of aforked lever s which embraces the pin. The lever s is rigidly connectedwith the toothed sector 6 and turns on the pivot 24. The sector t mesheswith a pinion a), whose arbor carries a wheel to, coupled to it by apawl and ratchet device 03, a fragment only of which is shown in Fig. 1.With the wheel to there engages the alarm pallet w, whose staff can 'iesthe hammer y. The gong .e' is secured to the pivot of the lever c. Whenthe lever c is turned to carry the pointer 6 around on the scale 7 inthe direction of the arrow 1, the sector 6 will be turned to the rightunder the influence of the pin 1*. During such movement the pinion v:and its arbor can turn idly. If, however, the lever 0 with pin 1' act inthe opposite direction upon the sector 6, the alarm mechanism comes intooperation. 011 rotation of the lever c from the zero position in thedirection of the arrow 1, the forked lever s and sector t are firstturned, whereby the alarm is set ready for operation. On furtherrotation of the lever 0 the first tooth of the segmental arm of thislever then at once engages the pinion g. The position of the latter mustbe such that the rack of the segment works perfectly evenly, without anyshock. For this )urpose a tooth 2 is provided on the segment, whichtooth, partaking of the motion of the lever 0, each time the latterarrives in the position of rest, strikes one of the teeth of the piniong and thus brings the latter into the requisite position.

Let us now assume that the alarm is to sound after the lapse of fivehours. The lever 0 must be turned in the direction of the arrow 1 intoany desired position, for instance so that the pointer 6 stands at VDuring this setting operation, the sector 25 and pinion 9 will have beenidly turned and the mechanism is ready for starting of the pendulum a.If a coin is now dropped into the slot and the pendulum thus started,the lever a will begin its return movement, controlled by the pinion gengaging with the segment. Then the pointer e arrives above the mark 0the last tooth of the segment leaves the pinion g. This period, however,coincides with the lapse of the fifth hour. Immediately the going workhas ceased to operate, the alarm acts, as at this moment the pin 1 willhave entered the fork s and will retract the sector t to the left fromadjusted position into the zero position. 'When the lever e arrivesfinally in the position of rest, the alarm also ceases to operate, andthe tooth 2 will have turned the pinion 9 into the correct position.

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the alarmis dispensed with, a totalizing mechanism being substituted therefor,and the going train is provided with a minute hand in addition to thehour hand. By this arrangement of the parts, though the manner ofoperation remains the same, a time check is constituted, which may beemployed to determine both individual periods of time (for instanceperiods of use of a gaming table or the like) and the sum total of suchseparate periods. The setting lever c is mounted on the arbor 3 of abracket, the hour hand 6, moving over the scale f, being mounted at thefront end of this arbor. The segmental rack of the lever c meshespermanently with the pinion g of the arbor at to which is secured theminute hand 5. The arbor 4:, owing to the provision of a pawl andratchet device h, can

idly rotate in one direction. The lever c is set by means of a removablekey fitting into the key-holes 1G in the boss of the hour hand 6 (Fig.a). In the position of rest of the time check the rim of the balance ofthe going train is held by a spring 6, which can be actuated by awire-pull 7. This'latter, again, is acted upon by a contrivance whichonly comes into operation on the billiard balls being removed from adrawer of the case a. Before commencing to play, the hour hand 6 is setin the starting position (Fig. 4), which is the zero position of thehand. The minute hand 5, which, being acted upon by the lever c,partakes of the motion of the hour hand, will now occupy the position 0(60) on the dial. The hands will commence to turn immediately thebalance of the going train is started by the removal of the spring 6 bythe wirep'ull 7.

In addition to acting upon the going train, the lever 0 and mainspring2' also act on the totalizing mechanism, for the purpose of checking thetime of duration of the single and total periods of play. For thispurpose the pinion 0 of a minute hand arbor (Fig. 5) meshes with thesegmental arm of the lever c. The minute hand 8 of this arbor is notrigidly secured to the latter, but is mounted thereon by means of africtional sleeve. This sleeve is provided with a pinion 9 which mesheswith a motion work 10, whereby the motion of the sleeve 11 of the hourwheel, and thus of the hour hano.12, is started. The hour hand makes onerevolution in 24; hours. To prevent return motion of the hand of thetotalizing mechanism every time the hand 6 is being set on the scale 7,a pawl 13 engages in the wheel of the motion work 10. Since the minutehand 8 is only driven by friction by the arbor of the pinion i), thisarbor, during the period of setting the hand e, rotates independently ofthe sleeve carrying the hand 8. If required, the totalizing mechanismhands 8, 12 may be set by hand to any figure of the dial 14k. The latteris displayed through an aperture in the case a, which, however is closedby a slide 15, so as to prevent unauthorized persons observing the dial.7

To use the time check, the hand 0 is first set to the figure 0 on thescale f. On the billiard balls being removed from their drawer in thecase a, the wire-pull 7 and starting spring 6 are operated, whereby thegoing train is set in motion. The hands 6, 5, being always visible,admit of the time of playing being observed. The hands of the totalizingmechanism move in the same manner. hen the game is ended and the ballsagain returned to their drawer, the going train is stopped by thewire-pull 7. To commence a new game the hour and minute hands 6, 5 areagain turned into the Zero position, and the totalizing mechanism, beingprevented from turning backward, adds the times of the various periodsof play.

WVhat I claim is 1. An alarm or time check, comprising in combination, agoing train, a continuous alarm train, a common main spring. an indicator, the setting of which winds up said main spring, and which isreturned by said main spring to actuate said going train, and meansactuated by said indicator on its return for transmitting the power ofsaid wound up main spring to said alarm train, substantially as setforth.

2. An alarm or time check, comprising in combination, a going train, acontinuous alarm train, a main spring, an indicator, the setting ofwhich winds up said main spring, a segment moving with the indicator onits return for transmitting the power of said main spring to said goingtrain upon the return movement only of the said indicator, a segmentactuated by the indicator for actuating the alarm train, and means forstart ing the said going train, substantially as set forth.

3. Alarm or time check, comprising in combination, a going train, analarm train, a main spring, an indicator the setting of which winds upsaid main spring, a segmental rack on said indicator meshing with saidgoing train, a ratchet device interposed between the indicator rack andthe going train, a pivoted toothed sector meshing with the alarm train,means for temporarily ac tuating said sector by said segmental rack, aratchet device interposed between said toothed sector and said alarmtrain, means for automatically turning the going train into properengagement position with said indicator rack, and means for starting thegoing train, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT TUROK.

Witnesses A. LIEBERKNECI-IT, CARL DUMER.

